BEIJING, April 18, 2013 (City Weekend) — For the guitar pickers, drummers and ivory ticklers among us, there seems to be no shortage of ways to connect with like-minded musicians. There are even communities of people practicing traditional Chinese instruments and African steel drums, but it can be difficult to find clubs and get-togethers for people who prefer less mainstream instruments, like the ukulele.
That’s why Kate Smith, a dynamic performer who’s got her hands in many pots, started the Ukulele Strum Circle, which meets the third Sunday of every month at Malty Dog.
Kate plays ukulele in an oldies girl band, and she noticed that after shows, uke enthusiasts would often approach her about their shared love of the tiny four-stringed instrument. After some persistent prodding from Dylan Viñales, the leader of a ukulele club at Harrow, Kate’s first strum session went down in February.
“The point of the Uke Strum is to gather together all these lovely people who I’ve met through playing ukulele, and to share in the joy, simple as that,” she says, adding, “I’ve found that people who enjoy ukulele are generally pretty unassuming, cheerful folk.”
If you think of an instrument as a reflection of the player’s personality, it’s hard to imagine a more effortlessly ebullient and jovial group than one in which everyone’s hitting a lick on their ukuleles.
Everyone from beginners to masters are welcome, and Kate sends out the chords so people can practice ahead of time. If you’re new to the uke and don’t have one yet, you can pick one up on your way to Malty Dog from any of the guitar shops along Gulou Dong Dajie.
“My criteria are simple: I look for a super easy song (two chord changes), then an intermediate and, finally, a high level song (lots of chord changes, faster tempo),” she says, adding that practicing the hand positions and moving from three chords—C, G and F—goes a long way in jamming.
At the last strum session, about 20 people at various uke-mastery levels—and even someone with a banjo—came, talked shop, practiced and, most importantly, had a delightful time.
“There are all sorts of levels, and no one to critique you, so there’s no need to fear standing out because you’ve played the wrong note,” Kate says. “On a ukulele, and I’m not joking here, pretty much anything you play sounds good! That’s just the way the uke is built.”
DETAILS
What: Beijing Ukulele Strum Circle
Where: Malty Dog
When: Sunday, April 21, 8pm
Email: kate.smith.music@gmail.com
It's Mikala! 